CLEVELAND MP Mark Robinson has slammed this week’s private members’ Bill to decriminalise late-term abortions in the Sunshine State.
Mr Robinson, a long-time anti-abortion advocate, made his hard-line stance public before the LNP announced its official position, canning Cairns MP Rob Pyne's proposed legislation.
Mr Robinson was railing against Mr Pyne’s proposal, which is destined to be adjusted over the next three weeks while it goes through a committee process.
Currently in Queensland, it is illegal to have an abortion unless the birth is expected to seriously affect the mother’s wellbeing.
Mr Pyne said he wanted to bring Queensland legislation into the 21st century and to make it comparable with other states where abortions after 24 weeks must have consent from two medical practitioners.
He also said he hoped it would reduce startling statistics that two children under 14 sought advice about an abortion every month.
After the Bill was unveiled, an LNP statement on Tuesday said the party believed there should be no change to current laws but if it were to go to a vote, LNP members did not have to toe the party line.
Redlands MP Matt McEachan said he would not vote for the measures and did not support abortions at nine months. He said he would be supporting the LNP’s stance which was not changing the current law.
Mr Robinson took a hard-line stance and called the legislation the “worst in the western world” pushed for it to be withdrawn and the committee to reject its assessment.
“I fully agree with the LNP's policy that there should be no change to the current laws in place, because whether you are for or against abortion, the current laws work,” he said.
“I will oppose this Bill because it is the most dangerous Abortion Law ever proposed in the western world as it promotes very late-term abortions, even up until the day of birth, without any safeguards.
“What about doctors who refuse to be forced to refer women for late-term abortion because it is against their conscience?
“It allows the taking of human life at a very late stage of embryonic development, when the baby has a heart-beat and is fully developed in every way.”
Capalaba MP Don Brown said he would support the Bill and said he was unashamedly pro-choice for a woman to have an abortion after consulting her doctor.
“It is 2016 not 1899 and abortion should not be illegal.”
In New South Wales, an abortion is only allowed if a woman's doctor says it is necessary to save the mother’s physical or mental wellbeing.
Other states have decriminalised late-term abortion but in Tasmania, signatures from two doctors must be given before approval of abortions after four months, and in Victoria, they must sign off on abortions after six months.